The Interlock was designed as a U.S. government mission to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. Developed in collaboration with the U.S. State Department Office of Overseas Building Operations for a graduate architecture studio, the project began with a study of Gropius' closed-off U.S. Embassy in Athens (1959–1961) and asked how a diplomatic building might balance security with symbolic openness.

The design breaks a conventional courtyard building into four segments, shifting each to the edges of the 100-foot setback line. The separations are inspired by traditional wood joinery — an analogy that extends to the building's mass timber structure and wooden façade. The resulting voids create double-height moments in the main building and separate the Conference Center into its own distinct structure.

The façade's wood planks provide shade and screen the secure portions of the building where windows cannot be installed. A green roof aligns the project with the State Department's commitment to sustainable embassy construction.

Pictured: Unlocking Massing Diagram